FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1921
1921 - 0584.PDF
operations aeroplanes possess important tactical and strategical qualifications. In adequate numbers they may prove a decisive factor in such operations. The development of anti-aircraft armament and the equipment of fleets with numbers of pursuing aero- planes borne in aircraft carriers are considered by the Commission to definitely limit the possibilities of attacking fleets at sea by heavy bombing machines. In the absence of the full text of the Report—we are quoting from a telegraphic summary—it would be unfair to criticise the apparently tentative conclu- sions reached by the Commission. It might have been thought that the results of the experiments under discussion would have been such as to have enabled a board of experienced officers to arrive at something more definite than is set forth in the sum- mary. If we are to take the obvious meaning of the conclusions, it is that to equip fleets with aircraft is a mere waste of money since in any case they would prove quite ineffective auxiliaries. Clearly, if the effect of direct hits from heavy bombs is negligible, it is useless for aircraft to try for them, especially as much greater effect is produced by exploding the bombs alongside. By suitable methods of " blister " construction of ships, however, this mining effect could be reduced to something as negligible as the direct hit, and we are driven back on the conclusion that, if the United States Commission is right, the armour has beaten the bomb. And, if aircraft are so ineffective in attack as the Commission seems to imply, why are they likely to exercise a decisive effect on coast defence operations ? The two things do not . appear to run together. However, we must defer further comment until the full text of the Report is available. South Africa's Slow Progress While some of the Overseas Dominions appear to be paying close attention to the development of aviation, civil and service, South Africa would seem, for some reason, to be suffering from a lack of enterprise, especially so far as the Union Govern- ' ment is concerned, although the latest news to hand from Sir p. Van Ryneveld, Director of the South African Air Force, who announces that any part of South Africa can now be reached by air from Pretoria in 24 hours, is more assuring. • - SEPTEMBER I, 1921 The Aero Club of South Africa held its annual dinner in Cape Town recently, and a great deal of rather bitter criticism of the Government at- titude towards aviation was voiced. If we are to take the criticisms seriously—and we can do no less at this distance—not only does the Govern- ment appear to give no encouragement to aviation, but every obstacle is placed in the way of development. One speaker quoted a number of instances where aviation had suffered from the attitude of the Govern- ment, and particularly of the Railways Department. He had, he said, been charged £52 for the carriage of a new wing. (He did not specify the distance it was carried.) Then, he was offered a contract to fly in Rhodesia for a few months, and the railway quoted at first £120 for taking the machines up, but afterwards said there was a mistake, and required £780. Of course, he lost the contract. Incidentally, it may be remarked that the South African railways are owned and operated by the^ State. Complaints were made that over £80,000 was wasted in the Cairo-Cape flight, out of only £150,000 voted for the whole of the aerial services. Another item of /.35,ooo was apparently incurred in taking certain machines from overseas up to Pretoria, when they could just as well have been flown there. By the time these liabilities had been provided for, some £45,000 only is available for running the Air Force for the next twelve months. These matters, which we have simply quoted because they appear to form the basis of complaint against the Government, would indicate that there is a woeful want of understanding on the part of the South African Government of the real value of aviation to a country of great distances and sparse facilities for communication. It is passing strange that there should be such a want of realisation of the possibilities, since aviation has been familiar to the South Africans from the earliest days. We believe we are right in saying that it was a party of South African officers who were among the first of the Overseas aviators to come to England for a final course of instruction early in the War. Indeed, we are not sure that Major Wallace's party was not the absolute first. This would indicate an appreciation of the possibilities of military aviation, which makes the present attitude all the more strange. THE LONDON-CONTINENTAL SERVICES RouteJ Crovdon-Paris Paris-Croydon Croydon-Bru ss els Bru ssels-Croydon Croydon-Amsterdam ... Amsterdam-Croydon ... Totals for week FLIGHTS 1 60<S d-55 44 44 96 8 6 117 No . o f passenger s 159 211 12 28 7 13 430 BETWEEN AUG. 21 AND AUG. 27, INCLUSIVE No. of flights carrying Mail s II 55 6 5 49 Good s 22 28 45 6 5 70 No . o f journey s complete d f 40 36 6 48 5 99 Averag e flyin g tim e h. m. 2 58 3 11 2 55 2 34 3 22 4 32 Fastest time made by Breguet F-ADAV(2h. 11m.) Breguet F-ADAH (2h. 15m.) D.H.4O-BATO (ih. 57m.) .. D.H.4 O-BALO (2h. 26m.) Fokker H-NABM 2I1. 50m.) Fokker H-NABJ (3I1. 27m.) Type and (in brackets' Number of each type flying B. (6), D.H.9 (2), D.H.18 (2), G (4), H.P. (2), Sp. (8), V. (1). B (8), D.H.9 (2), D.H.18 (2), G. (4), H.P. (2), Sp. (6), V. (1). D.H.4 (5), G. (2). D.H.4 (2KD.H.9 (1), G. (2) D.H.9 (3), F. (3), • Not including " private" flights. t Including certain journeys when stops were made en route. % Including certain diverted journeys. 584
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
